Pork plant worries Iowa residents

Plans for building several pig confinement facilities
are troubling residents near Clemons, Iowa.

About a dozen of them voiced their displeasure at the Marshall County Board
of Supervisors last week to prevent the plans by company Iowa Select from
becoming reality.

Three facilities

Residents say the company is planning to build three separate facilities.
The facilities could hold up to 2,400 pigs each, which are technically not
large-scale pig confinement operations, according to the state's
parameters.

Any confinement of 2,500 or more pigs is subject to additional state
regulations.

Apart from smell and environmental issues, another concern mentioned was a
lack of responsiveness that residents fear a company could exhibit.

"I just want Marshall County to be a good place to live," said one
resident. "And in all honesty, we have good pig farmers in our area. Let them do
what they do and keep the corporations out of it."

Air quality

Another said to be worried about the future air quality. "Daddy, am I going
to be sick all winter?," he said his daughter asked him.

While the supervisors said the sympathised with the residents, they
also said there is little they could do. Iowa law provides great freedoms to
agricultural operations.